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Consider placing a basket or other storage device under the sink where wasted space would exist. Although this is open storage (i.e. no cabinet to hide the clutter) it does add valuable space to a bathroom without much cabinetry to offer, if any.

If you have the ability to hang shelving or it already exists in the bathroom space then USE IT! You can go different ways with shelving…the first is to utilize it for commonly used bathroom items that you don’t mind having on display. The other way to use shelving is for it to be strictly decorative items that serve no real function but are aesthetically pleasing.

Utilize cabinetry to set the stage and statement of the bathroom. For instance in this bathroom the candy apple red cabinetry brings in a modern feel to the space and adds in clean lines and much needed storage space.

Carefully add in a splash of color and potentially a pattern or two as well. Take inspiration from a painting, wall color, drapery or shower curtain to liven up the bathroom space. For some reason so many of us are guilty of using one color in a bathroom (usually more neutral) and accenting with a solid color through towels and other miscellaneous items. Typically most of us stumble into the bathroom first thing after waking up in the morning so to have a cheerful and tranquil bathroom space that welcomes us to take a hot shower and re-energize for the day can really set the mood for the day.

One note of caution is to carefully choose the color of a bathroom, especially if it is on the smaller side as some color choices can make the room feel even tinier. You can always use white or other neutral colors and then add in colorful accents to make it a more tranquil and spa like retreat.

Through these simple and proven tips you will be able to maximize your bathroom’s storage space and do it all on a budget.h

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Many of us get stuck in a rut when it comes to the design of a headboard, or even a bedroom for that matter. But there are so many great DIY ideas that exist today online for headboards that can be done quickly, easily, and on a budget which can range from the most simplistic to over the top look.

Top 6 Tips for Choosing a Headboard:

1) Keep in mind the proportion of the headboard as you don’t want to overwhelm the space

2) Consider coordinating with a side table and other elements in the room

3) If you choose a solid headboard design then perhaps backdrop it with a focal wall of color or wallpaper to draw extra attention to the space

4) Utilize throw pillows on the bed to create a unified look

5) Don’t go overboard with patterns between bedspread, throw pillows, headboard and wallpaper

6) Use the headboard to tie the rooms color palette all together

Sure you could go with the ‘average’ wood type of headboard with matching furniture set (nightstands, dresser, armoire, etc.), but is that original? With a unique headboard design you have the ability to completely transform the look and feel of a bedroom with one simple furniture piece. The options for headboards are never-ending from different sizes, styles, fabrics, wood materials or metal. Don’t forget to add in a footboard if the design needs more balance, but in most instances you can get by with just having a headboard in place.

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You can use unexpected decor items to add a new pizzazz to any type of bedroom and you don’t have to break the bank to get something great and add something fresh to your bedroom. While getting a new headboard may not mean completely redoing your bedroom it is a great (and easy) way to provide a quick facelift.

A headboard can become the focal point of any bedroom while everyone’s tastes and styles are unique the possibilities for headboards are endless. Let your creativity flow and personality shine through from creating the perfect master retreat to the bachelor pad and everything in between, headboards have the ability to completely transform a room.

As a realtor, are you on Facebook? Do you have many likes and shares? If not perhaps you should look into N-Play and their exciting agent-centric services and applications available through Facebook. One of N-Play’s Facebook apps has already seen 250,000 agents across the United States jump on board to join the Real Estate Agent Directory since its original launch in October of 2011.

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While the internet is an essential part of any realtors business, in the past few years we have seen a sudden shift away from company and realtor based websites to the use of social media to assist potential clients in finding houses and/or a realtor. Part of this movement is due to the fact of a policy change enacted by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) back in 2012 when they revised the social media policy to allow local Multiple Listing Services (MLSs) to set their own policies and rules for allowing listings on social media sites. This began the trend of listings being offered on Facebook and other popular social media sites.

In 2014, Facebook will celebrate its 10 year anniversary since it was founded back in 2004. Facebook has taken off through its use on computers and tablets but its primary users are now mobile based. To give you an idea of just how big Facebook actually is, in September of 2013 there were 727 million daily active users on average. Thus making it the perfect platform for realtors and home buyers/sellers to meet.

Recently web marketing has seen a declining return on investment since website builds and hosting packages can add up quickly. Social media marketing offers a lower cost, instant updates and community-driven marketing tools. One recent survey showed that 74% of sellers found their agent by using social media as opposed to a website, advertising or sign. N-Play’s real estate centric apps allow realtors to gain social media presence and gain a follower base through an easy to use platform with additional add on services available such as the Dream Sweeps, READ Advantage, READ Page Engage and IDX Home Search.

In 2013, the National Association of Realtors released a study stating that 89% of realtors utilize social media to some extent. Realtors can put the power of social media to work through N-Play’s suite of apps available on Facebook to easily engage more in Facebook activities thus enabling them to connect with home buyers/ sellers and market listings and services.

Century 21 Feltrim Real Estate currently handles 20 current and planned developments within the Central Florida area, these are primarily made up of resort townhome communities. Each townhouse boasts an array of amenities with all of the modern conveniences that one would expect combined with energy efficiency to reduce utility costs. The local real estate market really has two facets for the retail side. The first is the vacation or holiday marketplace. The other facet is the local market in general for people that live in the area full time. This year the local builders are seeing record numbers of homes being built and sold. Mr. Goldberg believes the area to be one of the best, if not the best, real estate markets in the United States right now. While it’s not this way across all of Central Florida, it is within the markets that C-21 Feltrim sells within.

While the townhouse communities are a mixture of different residents, the primary owners are snowbirds. Central Florida has a lot to offer with the sunny (and warm) weather, multiple theme parks, waterways and shopping destinations. More recently the area has been gaining more and more medical related facilities, making it especially appealing to retirees for the easy access to medical care. A snowbird typically spends the colder winter months (or a portion thereof) soaking up the warm Central Florida sunshine, after all they don’t call it the sunshine state for nothing. The typical months for the snowbirds to move to and/or visit central Florida are anywhere from November through April and there is a mixture of where the snowbirds come from ranging from New York to Toronto and beyond. In addition to all of the snowbird activity Century 21 Feltrim also receives a lot of its business from international investors from Brazil to China and everywhere in between. These types of investors typically purchase the property strictly for investment and rent it out full time. “It’s a diversified marketplace in today’s times” said Mark Goldberg, Broker and Director of Sales for Century 21 Feltrim Real Estate.

Century 21 Feltrim Real Estate is really a one stop shop for everyone’s Central Florida real estate needs as they offer everything from servicing the buyer and seller to working with developers and offering property management services. The property management division of Century 21 Feltrim handles both short and long term rentals and provides a full list of management services for the homeowner that lives many states or oceans away. Just knowing that their real estate investment is being watched over and handled in a professional manner takes out all of the stress of home ownership. One of the unique advantages that Feltrim Real Estate offers is the unique ability to purchase a fully furnished, turnkey townhome that one can use whenever they please yet also earn an income from providing it is a short-term vacation rental or use as an investment property and rent out full time to gain a consistent monthly income. You may visit Century 21 Feltrim online at: www.c21feltrim.com or email them at: info@c21feltrim.com

Megan Rutherford is a Realty Biz News Contributor

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Thus, since the advent of the internet, it has changed the way that realtors do business. For buyers it’s where they start their purchase process and in the case of sellers it’s where they begin the pre-listing research. Believe it or not back before the internet it took an actual hardcopy MLS book that was published by the local real estate board office each month to see what properties were on the market. Fast forward to the internet era and now all property listings are easily accessible online (both to you as an agent and to the consumer that is looking to buy or sell). While this leads to a more educated consumer, it also lends itself to a more opinionated client. It’s not just floor duty that generates leads any longer, but rather your website and other internet based methods of marketing your services as a realtor. In all reality it’s tech-savvy consumers that have forced the change of how realtors conduct their business. According to the National Association of Realtors, 41% of a realtor’s business development is spent on online marketing activities and 66% of realtors also felt that a good web presence attracts buyers.

Believe it or not, sites like Zillow and Trulia don’t handle everything real estate related. Although they may be able to provide a good ‘Zestimate’ they don’t take on the role of handling difficult contracts and negotiations, which is what a realtor is for and can still do well in the era of the internet.

The internet, if you haven’t embraced it fully yet then you need to! Most every home and realtor search begins online therefore it is crucial to have an online presence and be connected through a variety of internet based platforms such as a good website, email and social media accounts.

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While this sounds like a fun proposition, it also seems a little overwhelming so here are a few tips for decking the halls that will fit virtually any budget:
-Bring natural elements indoors. Utilize pinecones, evergreen branches and other nature inspired décor.
-Have fun with color. Don’t be afraid to pick bold colors and mix them. The holiday season is all about brightness and cheer.
-Decorate the entry. This is the first (and sometimes only impression that people will see of your home). Utilize the power of Christmas lights to brighten your entry both inside and out. Place a wreath on the front door to draw even more attention to your entry.
-Experiment with rearranging your furniture to accommodate various holiday decorations, such as a Christmas tree.
-Incorporate a theme for holiday decorations. This can range from the traditional decorations, family heirlooms passed down from generation to generation, or fresh new modern themes.
-Display Christmas cards. There are many inventive ways to display all of those holiday cards ranging from pinning them on a string to placing them on a card wall. Let your imagination run wild.

With these great tips ranging from the cheap to the extravagant you can have a festive home ready for holiday gatherings and entertaining. There are millions of different DIY holiday décor projects that can get you in the holiday spirit and add the festiveness of the season to your home. May you have a warm and cheerful holiday season!

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Caring for your customers/clients is of the utmost importance in real estate because without them you don’t get paid. While most buyers and sellers have certain expectations of what a realtor should do for them, there is also an opportunity to go the extra mile and exceed the client’s expectations. Your job isn’t just doing a little bit of paperwork, placing a for sale sign in the yard and waiting for the house to sell. Contrary to popular belief, being a realtor is a lot of work! As a realtor you need to be able to convey your work ethic and service that you provide so that your client can see the value in utilizing your services. Most every realtor can offer the same basic product and service, but what is it that sets you apart from other realtors? Could it be your service?

Take for example a survey that Realtor.com recently did that showed over 50 percent of consumers were unhappy with an agent because of the agent’s poor response time and general lack of responsiveness. Go the extra mile and exceed your client’s expectations! In the end you will be glad you did since research from the National Association of Realtors showed that 42 of an agent’s business comes from referral or repeat business sources. As a real estate agent you have a specific service to provide and (lucky for you) people need that service. You must have the mindset of offering a service; you are able to help others and provide a service to your community by doing so.

Megan Rutherford is a Realty Biz News Contributing Writer

Builders come in all shapes and sizes. Each builder has their own unique attributes that make them successful, one builder may be known for a specific style of home, while another builder builds homes for less money but they are closer together. There is also a range of new homes that you can by. Everything from the spec home builder where what you see is what you get to the semi-custom home that you have a custom builder and are able to pick a few upgrades to a completely custom home builder.

CEO Garrett Kenny

When working with an agent, they need to be well versed, not only about the builder and home but also the neighborhood/area. A real estate agents job is also to prequalify, not start selling a model home at a base model price then have the buyer get ‘sticker shock’ when all of the costs of upgrades are factored in. While upgrades are nice, often they don’t show a great return on investment. Some upgrades are primarily for the buyers benefit and may have no real bearing on a future sales price. Garrett’s advice is to not get too carried away with the upgrades as they may not be factored into an appraised value of the home down the road.

The economy has turned around since the housing crisis of 2007, thus new construction is booming once again and is a very feasible option for many homebuyers in the market today. The Home Buying Institute recently cited that the Florida housing market will attract national attention in 2014. Why? The answers are simple. More and more people are looking for good weather, great shopping, theme park fun and sound investments. Florida has all that to offer and more. “Not only do we appeal to those in the United States but Florida has a terrific appeal to foreigner investors looking to purchase property within the United States. A lot of Florida real estate business comes from China, Canada and Latin American nations” stated Garrett Kenny, CEO of Century 21 Team Feltrim.

In order for a realtor to be successful they must fit the product to the consumer. By knowing what features are important to the buyer and what their price point is that they are comfortable in spending a realtor can be your best advocate in helping you secure the home of your dreams. The sunshine state has much to offer and has a great appeal to the young and old that being said the median home price has been on the rise.

You walk in to a gorgeously staged model home presented by a builder and you are immediately overcome with the feeling of “Wow- I could live here”. Not only does it have the newness going for it but the furniture and décor items are all staged to perfection.

There are many reasons to choose to utilize a realtor’s (aka buyers agent) services when purchasing a new construction home, although the list is endless here are just some of the highlights:
-You get an unbiased view and approach to better help you make an informed decision.
-A realtor knows the market, he or she can provide you with market comparables.
-A realtor can help you negotiate the contract to potentially get a better deal.
-When a buyer deals directly with the builder they are more afraid to negotiate 1) price and 2) upgrades.
-A buyer’s agent can potentially inform you about issues in construction, they know what questions to ask and realize that you don’t always get what you see.
-A builder won’t discount just because a buyer doesn’t have an agent representing them, the builder is in it to make every buck the he can.
-An agent is with you every step of the way from contract, construction, walkthrough and closing.
-A buyer may not understand all of the ins and outs of real estate contracts and real estate law as well as inspections and other related items.
-Builders have contracts so it is important be as knowledgeable as possible and also get a different viewpoint that is backed by experience in dealing with builders.

If you are dealing directly with a ‘site agent’, a person that sits at a model home on behalf of the builder/developer, then you must stop and think about whom this person is really working for. They are working for the builder/developer and they receive a commission based on the sale so it is important for them to sell you on the home each and every way they can. They might not be forthcoming and say that there is a re-sale home in the same general neighborhood and right down the street for less money that may fit better with your budget and what you are looking for in terms of features.

“Let us use the analogy of the new car dealerships. You go to one dealership to test drive a Mercedes, but you never look down the street for comparable (or lesser priced) vehicles made by other manufacturers” states Kenny. A seller’s agent works for the seller (not the buyer), this is the same in a builder and real estate agent relationship. The sellers agent is their to make a sale, not direct you to a comparable home down the street that they may not receive commission on.

Sure everything is new and with ‘new’ comes all of the warranties to make you feel secure over the next few years of living in the home. But just remember you can get a home warranty on an existing resale home as well. Granted a resale home may be a few years older and has been lived in by someone else before you.

The common misconception that most buyers of new construction have is that by using a realtor it is more expensive. When in fact the seller pays the commission (both sides in fact), so the buyer is able to get fair and unbiased representation when using their own realtor without having any money out of pocket.

Real estate is a large investment, and perhaps the biggest one that you will make in your lifetime. If you are in the market to purchase a new home, consider contacting a realtor to represent you as a buyer’s representation is free and a realtor can provide you with fair and equal representation rather than dealing directly with the builder. Sure the builder would like to cut out the middle-man and save the commission, but without the middle-man there might not be a sale. When dealing with new construction a buyers agent is utilized 80 percent of the time. Your dream home, new or resale, can be realized and potentially at a better price when you have a licensed real estate agent to represent and protect your interests on the purchase. Don’t fall into the trap of a builder getting you to pay top dollar!

Megan Rutherford is a Realty Biz News Contributing Writer

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Here are my top 5 tips to get your garage clean and orderly in a snap:
1) Create areas in your garage for specific things. For instance have a coat and shoe rack near the door. Create a gardening/landscaping area that you can house everything from shovels and rakes to fertilizer and lawn seed. Each part of the garage should have a zone. Of course we will always have to face hard to place items that can be bulky and hard to place such as exercise equipment, large toys, a lawnmower, bikes, and the list goes on.

2) Look up! Always try to utilize as much vertical and ceiling space as possible. By doing so you will add a lot more storage space. Place items that you don’t use as frequently on higher shelves that you can access with a ladder.

3) Clear out the clutter. So many of us have pack rat syndrome where we think that we may use an item someday but have no immediate plans to use it. If you don’t have any immediate plans to use an item then you should consider donating it.

4) Research and plan different ways to organize your garage. While it may not be a sensible choice for you to pull everything out of your garage and then put it all back in starting from scratch with a blank slate, it may be a more reasonable option to draw out specific plans for organizing and look online for tips that fit what you are looking to do.

5) Label items. Make sure to label drawers, shelves, and other storage containers. This will make searching for a lost item a whole lot easier!

If cleaning and organizing your garage seems like an overwhelming task then simply divide it into more manageable sections. I divided my garage into four sections where I focused on ¼ for an hour and felt less overwhelmed and a better sense of accomplishment for what I did get organized. A lot of times visitors enter through a garage rather than a front door plus neighbors and passer-bys will also see your garage organization skills. Don’t let a messy and cluttered garage be their first impression of your home.